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Motorcyclist in critical condition

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Grrl

Grrl

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Plano, TX
A very good friend of mine and Charlie's is currently in critical condition in a hospital in Springfield MO. He and some friends were doing a run through northern AR over this past weekend, and there was an incident with a car. He was careflighted to MO, and has been there since Saturday (4/2). He's got a brain hematoma (bruise, in a very oversimplified manner), a very broken right leg, and we found out last night that he does have some brain stem damage. He has always been a very conservative and SAFE rider, a very giving man, and one of the first to offer any sort of help. He's been in the TSBA for years, has completed Iron Butt rides, helps riders new and old however he is able, opens his house for drunken festivities. I honestly doubt there are many people he has known in his life that can say anything negative about him. He has a very long road ahead of him, as does his girlfriend and his family.

Any prayers that can be offered are very greatly appreciated.
 
Yes, this is one of my TSBA brothers. I have not met him myself but from all accounts he is one of the most conservative and safe riders around and an all around great guy. He was riding sweep at the time so no one really knows the details of the accident except maybe the folks in the car. I believe one of the passangers in the car was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

My best wishes go out to everyone involved in this serious situation including the other TSBA riders who were there and reacted swiftly to get help and provided support for the injured.
 
Any one of us could say, "There, but for the grace of God..."

Let us know if there's anything we can do for him or his family, and please keep us informed of his status.
 
Tourmeister said:
His name?
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Initial post off the TSBA DFW Chapter board......

posted April 03, 2005 09:34
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Cass called me late afternoon with the news from Fasil that Mike LaPoint was flown to St. Johns in MO. The specifics of the accident will not be confirmed till Mike remembers. He and a automobile collided in AR. I spoke with Cathy and he has broken his right leg in several places and he is in critical but, stable condition due to a head injury. They are taking CAT scans first thing this morning. Cathy will keep me updated. I have been in contact with Fasil and he said Mike was on the Ducati, the bike and the car are totaled. His helmet was cracked. Mike is responding to pain and tried to open an eye. I don't mean to be vague but, I don't want to post hear say info. Kuddos to American Airlines, Cathy wanted to drive but, decided that flying might be a better way to go. I explained to the supervisor the situation and they got her on the first flight this morning and only charged her 260.00. I took her to the airport at 7:00am. The passenger was also flown to the hospital and no word is available about their condition. Fasil said that the man driving was very appologetic even though it doesn't look like it was the cars fault. Mike was sweeping and the other riders were ahead of him and thru a curve so they didn't see the accident. A woman in a truck saw them sitting at the side of the road and told them there was an accident. The main purpose for this post is to give as many prayers for Mike, Cathy and his family. Please keep them in your thoughts. Fasil said that the EMT's were amazing and kept Mike calm. I will be able to give more info when I talk to Cathy. I take care of Maggie and the house when they are on vacation so I have a key to the house and we have that covered. If Cathy or Mike need anything I will post or call you. G-d bless everyone that is helping and caring for Mike and the passenger. I know we will all be praying so hard for his recovery and to keep Cathy strong.
 
scratch said:
Any one of us could say, "There, but for the grace of God..."

Let us know if there's anything we can do for him or his family, and please keep us informed of his status.
Click to expand...

TSBA post....

posted April 04, 2005 16:08
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Thank you for the flood of help. The fax has been sent to Cathy. I know that the love and prayers will be a wonderful healing tool.

I spoke to Cathy and the neurologist spoke to them. The first thing he said was, the helmet saved his life! The scans showed that he has a hematoma and that his brain has been shaken, the nerve endings have damage. This is my understanding from Cathy as to what this means so forgive me if I am not right on with the delivery of the facts. He might not remember the accident, he might have a different personality and memory loss is a possibility. Nothing will be confirmed of course until Mike wakes up. He's not breathing on his own (yet) but, he's blinking and being stubborn when it comes to them washing his mouth out and keeping the breathing tube in. Good! that's my bro, give em **** so we know you are coming back to us soon! Cathy is holding up and she has a wonderful support system with his mom, dad and sister. I know that the fax will give them much needed strength from all their friends.
 
Latest news....

posted April 06, 2005 00:09
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I spoke with Cathy and they drained the fluid but, he has brain stem damage. The Dr. has made sure to repeat how young and strong Mike is so they are encouraging words. He will have his leg operated on tomorrow. Let that part of the healing begin!
I can't stress enough, please keep the medical information, thoughts, and speculations on a uplifting note. For Cathy and Mike's sake. Cathy and his family read the board and I don't believe that it is in their best intrest at heart. 90% of healing from many accidents, health problems is mental. Please be mindful of your posts. I am sure that no one would post anything harmful but, unfortuatly the words in writing don't always come across with the same intent as they were meant. Thanks for reading and understanding. May our words and prayers bring Mike and Cathy home and in 100% health and good spirits.
 
:tab Having been in the position of uncertainty about the future of a loved one after an accident like this, I can certainly relate to what they must be going through. In an instant, your mind is flooded with anxiety about what will happen to everything!!?? There will be thoughts of what will happen to me, to my loved ones, to our livelihood, how we will get by, and on and on... It can be very overwhelming. I will certainly be praying that Cathy can hold up under this stress and be strong for Mike and that Mike makes a full recovery.

Adios,
 
Anyone wishing to read more can go to the DFW forum on the BBS on www.tsba.org.. anything with Mike and Cathy, or the AR trip - not good news
 
News of Mike's accident reached me while on the road attempting my first coast-to-coast ride. This is very disturbing for me, to say the least. As Stuart said, Mike is an excellent rider, and has always been a very vocal member of the DFW TSBA and preached safety and smart riding. He commutes on one of his bikes daily, so he has years of experience with urban riding, he's done the Iron Butt thing, he's done a MC tour through Europ, and now is content to do the commuting ride with the occassional run up to Arkansas or out to Big Bend.

My thoughts all week seem to keep coming back to "if this can happen to Mike, it can happen to anyone one of us". Sure, ridding stupid increases your odds, but that's not how Mike rides. Details of exactly what went wrong are not known to anyone other than Mike right now, so we may never know exactly what happened that day. Knowing Mike, I can only imagine that it was a combination of small things out of his control that lead up to this.

Mike has touched alot of lives, and we all wish him a speedy recovery, and for God to watch over him, Cathy, and both his and Cathy's families during this trying time.
 
:tab Don't forget, you can do everything right, and things can still go wrong... "Total Control" is an illusion. Being a skilled rider does not make one immune from the risky reality of riding. We turn on the news and hear about auto accidents everyday, yet how many of us think about getting in an accident everytime we get in our car? I think the fact that as riders, our congregating together makes the accidents seem more immediate and personal.

:tab For all the riders like Mike, there are still many out there that have had long enjoyable riding careers. You can get hurt doing all manner of things. You do what you can to minimize the risks and then play the cards you are dealt. I went through a lot of this a few years ago when Mark Eggers was killed on his bike. When I think about how riding is such an integral part of my life, I don't think Mark would have wanted others to give up riding because of his accident. Sure it is a risk, there is no denying that, but like many risky things, the rewards are higher than simply sitting around and taking the safe easy way through life. That is not just a cliche, it is reality.

:tab I hope Mike is doing better and will make a full recovery. That is what I will be praying for ;-)
 
Tourmeister said:
:tab Don't forget, you can do everything right, and things can still go wrong... "Total Control" is an illusion. Being a skilled rider does not make one immune from the risky reality of riding. We turn on the news and hear about auto accidents everyday, yet how many of us think about getting in an accident everytime we get in our car? I think the fact that as riders, our congregating together makes the accidents seem more immediate and personal.

:tab For all the riders like Mike, there are still many out there that have had long enjoyable riding careers. You can get hurt doing all manner of things. You do what you can to minimize the risks and then play the cards you are dealt. I went through a lot of this a few years ago when Mark Eggers was killed on his bike. When I think about how riding is such an integral part of my life, I don't think Mark would have wanted others to give up riding because of his accident. Sure it is a risk, there is no denying that, but like many risky things, the rewards are higher than simply sitting around and taking the safe easy way through life. That is not just a cliche, it is reality.

:tab I hope Mike is doing better and will make a full recovery. That is what I will be praying for ;-)
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
Quick update from Cathy yesterday, I don't know if this is on the TSBA board yet as I have not been there yet this morning.... The doctors are not giving up hope at this time, and indicated the brain stem damage is not as bad as they previously thought. Mike is breathing on his own, will flinch away if someone acts like they are going to hit him, tries to look at things when his eyes are opened. He is still in a coma, but is almost over a very nasty infection from last week. I am ever-the-optimist, and can only hope that our prayers are being heard!! Keeping the faith...
 
Grrl said:
Quick update from Cathy yesterday, I don't know if this is on the TSBA board yet as I have not been there yet this morning.... The doctors are not giving up hope at this time, and indicated the brain stem damage is not as bad as they previously thought. Mike is breathing on his own, will flinch away if someone acts like they are going to hit him, tries to look at things when his eyes are opened. He is still in a coma, but is almost over a very nasty infection from last week. I am ever-the-optimist, and can only hope that our prayers are being heard!! Keeping the faith...
Click to expand...

Encouraging news. :-)
 
Tourmeister said:
Any news here about Mike?
Click to expand...

Post off TSBA DFW last week...

Mike was moved last week from the Trauma Center in Missouri to LifeCare in Plano. He is scheduled to be there for 30 days, the next move is based on his progress.

By chance fortune the facility Mike is currently in is about 600 meters from my apartment so I have been lucky enough to see him daily since he got back to Texas. First when you do see him it is not what you expect. I had a Hollywood image of a coma, you know someone lying quietly perfectly still, like they were asleep. This is not the case. Mike moves, he turns his head and looks at you, he even smiles at Cathy, and seems to have some level of interaction. Last night I asked him some Yes or No questions and he nodded at me.

His parents and Cathy are there every day, in shifts, and they are encouraged by his progress so far.

Brian injuries are mysterious and even the doctors are not sure what will happen next. Please keep Mike, Cathy, and the family in your prayers
 
Mike is doing great! They have a rating system for coma patients. Mike was at a 3 a couple of weeks ago, now he's at a 5.

To sort of explain it, a 3 is like he responds to loud noises by turning in that direction and focuses on objects presented to him.

A 5 is like he responds to things on his own, may have trouble remembering words he wants to use, needs assistance with daily living.

This is super considering the grim prognosis he and his family received just a few short weeks ago.

The DFW chapter of TSBA had a Ride for Mike Benefit on Saturday. Before the ride, they started out at the hospital where Mike was staying (he's being transferred to Baylor to a rehabilitation unit). He could name every rider and the kind of bike they were on as they passed by. When the ride was over and they returned to Dallas, they took an event t-shirt to Mike. He eagerly took it, making them put it on him. When asked if he knew what it said, he said, "yeah, ride for Mike" and smiled really big.

This is so wonderful. Keep up your prayers and good wishes for him. They seem to be working for both Mike and Brian right now.
 
I know that this weekend in Arkansas, I will be thinking about Mike and Brian a LOT! I hope the same is true for everyone else!

Seems odd that he is that responsive and they still classify him as being in a coma :scratch

Adios,
 
Mike is getting better every day!! :-D

Just a few weeks ago, docs were telling the family to "get ready for the funeral".

Well, he's talking, remembers things, etc. He's very happy he's in rehab and working really hard to get his life back to a somewhat normalcy.

Everyone is amazed, extremely happy and grateful that he's doing so well.

Thanks for all your prayers - they really are working. :-D
 
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